The Darkside of Brighton

Brighton's West Pier

Sitting at the Capital Crime book signing table in 2022, I spotted book blogger Donna Morfett’s pink hair well before she approached and said, ‘I’ve got you on my radar.’ Little did I know that five months later I would be appearing on a panel at her one-day literary festival:… Read more“The Darkside of Brighton”

Motivation and the Literature Mine

“Nothing will work unless you do.” Maya Angelou I’ve dreamt of being an author since my schooldays but my family tree is littered with agricultural labourers, foundry workers and cannon fodder. My background is working class and I remember hiding behind the settee with Mum and Dad to avoid the… Read more“Motivation and the Literature Mine”

Living History

I get my inquisitiveness from my Dad. He was fascinated by all sorts of stuff and took me to the galleries, museums, castles, stately homes and historic places of London and the South East when I was a boy. Growing up during World War Two gave him an interest in… Read more“Living History”

Judging a Book by its Cover

‘What’s in a name?’ wrote Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet. ‘That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.’ George Eliot complimented this with ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ in The Mill on the Floss. All well and good but, as I discovered when… Read more“Judging a Book by its Cover”

Stick or Twist – An Author’s Dilemma

Having always wanted to write about characters I can develop over time in a series of books, I found myself in a curious position. Book One had been written, edited and coaxed through many iterations. It had been drafted, crafted, beta read and re-drafted. In fact, the rough wood had… Read more“Stick or Twist – An Author’s Dilemma”

Becoming a Curtis Brown Creative

As I stood with my fellow course-mates on the Curtis Brown Creative (CBC) 3-month London course, I had never experienced such an intense feeling of impostor syndrome. They looked like ‘proper’ authors and I wondered whether I had been ushered into the wrong waiting area. The feeling did not dissipate… Read more“Becoming a Curtis Brown Creative”

MURDEROUS MEDWAY

Given the popularity of crime novels, it’s almost criminal in itself that it took so long for such a large catchment area as Medway to have its own major crime writing festival. Last Saturday’s inaugural Murderous Medway, under the Rochester Literature Festival banner, finally put that right. Five panels brought together… Read more“MURDEROUS MEDWAY”

Write What You Know (just don’t kill anyone)

I first received advice to write what you know while in school and thought it made perfect sense. After all, Ian Fleming had been in Naval Intelligence and John le Carré in both MI5 and MI6 before writing their spy novels, whilst Alistair MacLean had been in the Royal Navy… Read more“Write What You Know (just don’t kill anyone)”

Staying the Course to Overnight Success

  Writers achieving ‘overnight success’ usually have back stories telling of failed novels, lost competitions and mounds of rejection slips, illustrating years of hard work and perseverance. Drawing on their personal experiences, they recommend entering competitions and submitting articles to many publications. Decades ago, this was not the advice my… Read more“Staying the Course to Overnight Success”